Adam McGill, the Novato city manager running for Marin County sheriff, announced he would drop out of the race due to unforeseen health issues, leaving incumbent undersheriff Jamie Scardina to run unopposed. “I cannot give the race the energy and focus it deserves,” Mr. McGill said in a statement last week. “I am very grateful to everyone who has stepped up; it has meant a lot to me. Now, I need to spend some time with my family, prioritize my health, and focus on what’s ahead.” Mr. McGill, who will continue to work as Novato’s city manager, told the Light on Monday that he would not comment further. He had announced in January that he would be running to replace Sheriff Robert Doyle, who is serving his sixth term and will not seek re-election next year. Sheriff Doyle was appointed in 1996 and was re-elected six times, only once in a contested election. Mr. McGill’s exit from the race ensures that his opponent, Mr. Scardina, will become Sheriff Doyle’s successor next June. “First and foremost, I wish Adam a speedy and healthy recovery,” Mr. Scardina said in a statement. “Whether it is physical or mental health, we cannot and should not take anything for granted.” He pledged to “keep up the momentum” on his campaign. Cesar Lagleva is a San Rafael-based social activist who had been organizing a series of sheriff’s candidate forums in Marin, including one in Stinson Beach this fall. He said he doesn’t know of any other potential candidates. “Democracy in action is the ability to have a choice,” Mr. Lagleva said. “Unfortunately, limited choice by having only one candidate in electing our county sheriff for many past election cycles, which may include this election cycle, will simply result in an all too familiar outcome of maintaining the status quo and diminishes some level of accountability.” Mr. Lagleva said he respected Mr. McGill’s decision to take care of his own health, but he called the situation unfortunate. An unopposed candidate doesn’t necessarily mean a competent one, Mr. Lagleva said, and he encouraged eligible Marin residents to consider running. Mr. McGill, who previously served as Novato’s police chief after heading police departments in Truckee and Newman, told the Light earlier this year that increased scrutiny on policing and reforms had ignited his interest in leading the county’s law enforcement. At a June meeting where county supervisors considered implementing a civilian oversight committee for the sheriff’s office, Sheriff Doyle argued against the committee and defended his record, while Mr. McGill said he supported more oversight. Last year, the sheriff’s office used force 113 times, including 47 physical restraints, 29 displays of a firearm, 20 deployments of a taser and six uses of pepper spray. Deputies never discharged a firearm. In 2019, the department used force 146 times. Mr. McGill had his own history of alleged excessive force as a police sergeant in Modesto. In 2009, a jury sided with Wendell Jones, a Black man who said Mr. McGill struck him unprovoked at a nightclub before other officers beat him with a baton and a flashlight. In his interview with the Light earlier this year, Mr. McGill positioned himself as a newcomer with a focus on community policing. He said he would be suited to dealing with West Marin issues because of his experience as police chief of Truckee, a small ski town that dramatically swells in size during peak tourist season.